Barriers are often used to keep pets, or their owners, safe by preventing pets from being exposed to or creating hazards. For example, if a pet has a tendency to get into a trash bin a barrier may be erected to keep the pet away from the trash bin. Or, if a pet has a tendency to knock over a toddler or the toddler has a tendency to pull at the pet, the pet and toddler may be kept in separate areas by erecting a barrier between the pet and the toddler.
Gates are commonly used as barriers within a home. Gates provide a barrier that is not as obstructive as a door and requires relatively little effort to position within a passageway as compared to erecting a wall or a door. A gate may generally include a frame that mounts the gate in a passageway. A door is mounted in the gate frame allowing access through the passageway. Often the door is unlatched from the frame using a hand operated actuator. However, this arrangement may not be convenient if one needs to pass through the gate carrying a number of items in their hands. Accordingly, room remains for improvement in the structure and operation of a gate to allow one passing through a gate to conveniently open the gate without the use of their hands.